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5 Great Home Apps for the Holidays

At some point over the next week or so you’ll probably be spending some more time at home than usual, and it’s quite possible that your home will be a little bit more crowded than normal too. Schedules get a bit hectic and it’s nice to have some helpful resources at your disposal to keep your time at home enjoyable and your entertaining on track. We thought we’d see if we can help your home management over the holidays become a bit simpler with some simple but pretty awesome apps.

At some point over the next week or so you’ll probably be spending some more time at home than usual, and it’s quite possible that your home will be a little bit more crowded than normal too.

Schedules get a bit hectic and it’s nice to have some helpful resources at your disposal to keep your time at home enjoyable and your entertaining on track. We thought we’d see if we can help your home management over the holidays become a bit simpler with some simple but pretty awesome apps.

1. Mosaic

If your house is anything like mine, the most popular question around the holidays in year’s past was “Do you have the camera?” Now that answer is pretty simple. I have my iPhone. As phones now take better pictures than your digital camera it becomes so much simpler to take pictures of any holiday moment at home. But what if you want to print these pictures? Or put them into a nice photo album? In most cases you’d have to do all the photo arrangement on your computer, but no longer thanks to Mosaic. Mosaic is an incredibly simple but beautiful app. Just select up to 20 photos from your iPhone camera roll, add them into Mosaic and with a few taps you can create a beautiful photo book. I created one for Thanksgiving and it came out fantastic. Mosaic doesn’t have the same tool set for customizations as your standard photo printing site, but it’s perfect for creating simple and stunning books to commemorate special occasions. Mosaic is currently available for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad.

2. Any.Do

To do lists are the bane of my existence, but a necessary part of the holidays. Shopping lists, grocery lists, honey-do lists, etc. will be coming your way if they haven’t already. Instead of writing them down on a piece of paper or even worse using the embedded Notes app on your phone, go download Any.Do. It is bar-none the simplest to-do list app you will ever come across. Using your voice or your thumbs you can create simple list in a matter of seconds and as you accomplish your task simply cross the item out with your finger to remove it. You can schedule things for today, tomorrow and beyond and even have reminder alerts on your phone for those of feeble mind like myself. The app is actually beautifully designed and I guarantee it will be your official to-do app from this point forward. Any.Do is available for free on the iPhone, Android, and Chrome browser.

3. Camera+

Regardless of Instagram’s recent terms of use issues, you’re going to want to ditch those dated camera filters and start using Camera+. What Camera+ does that Instagram doesn’t is make your pictures look awesome. It’s the only photo filter app I use these days. All those pictures of your beautifully decorated home and family and friends around the dining table can be even better with this app. For only $0.99 it’s a steal as it has more photo editing and adjustment features than more expensive apps. But the best thing is it’s super simple to use. You don’t need to be a photo enthusiast or graphic designer to figure out how to use it. It’s pretty much stupid proof which is right up my alley. Crop, rotate, colorize and share photos all within Camera+. It’s my favorite app that I’ve purchased in 2012. Camera+ is available for $0.99 on the iPhone & iPad.

4. The Photo Cookbook

Aren’t instructions so much easier to read when they contain pictures? Shouldn’t the same be true for cooking? That’s what makes The Photo Cookbook app so great. It’s got over 500 high res photos for 60+ recipes and a ridiculously simple step-by-step instructions for preparing anything from a simple appetizer to a complex dessert. It also boasts search function not just by dish but also by ingredient, and you can add your own notes to each recipe. So if this is your first holiday of hosting at home, this might not be a good way to invest $3.99 insuring your guests want to come back next year. The Photo Cookbook app is available for $3.99 on the iPhone, iPad and in the Mac App Store.

5. Songza

What’s a great moment at home without a little music? Sure you’ve probably already downloaded the likes of Spotify, Pandora or IHeartRadio, but Songza is a bit different as it aims to add a soundtrack to the every day tasks you encounter. Let’s say you’re wrapping presents and need a little energy boost; Songza has your playlist. It’s the day after Christmas and you’re ready to unwind. Songza has a playlist for that too. Looking for a soundtrack for pre-game fun? Songza has you covered. With thousands of songs and some seriously unique playlists, Songza is a great change of pace app for the music lover. Songza is available for free on the iPhone, Android & Kindle Fire.

David Marine is the Vice President of Brand Engagement for Coldwell Banker where he oversees the brand’s content strategy including acting as managing editor for the Coldwell Banker blog and heading up video production efforts. While Vice President by day, David runs a three ring circus at night as he is the father of 4 boys. He also happens to be married to Wonder Woman. True story.

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